Dan Patrick is a strong fiscal and social conservative. He has been rated by virtually every Texas conservative group as the leading conservative member of the Texas Senate. The Austin American Statesman editor ranked Dan the 3rd most influential Republican in the state. Texas Monthly, not known as a friend of conservatives, ranked him the 10th most powerful person in politics in Texas.
After arriving in Austin for his first session in 2007, Senator Patrick quickly developed a reputation and respect from his colleagues for standing up and speaking out on conservative principles. He has challenged the Austin establishment; archaic rules and, when necessary, his own party on major issues. In the most recent session he fought back to eventually pass a bill banning the TSA from invasive touching and groping of citizens after many thought the bill had no chance to pass. He was the lone Republican vote on the Senate Finance Committee to vote “no” on the budget because it spent $3 billion from the Rainy Day Fund for future spending. With the help of other like-minded Senators, he led the fight to block the budget from passing until that provision was removed.
In his three sessions, Dan has not missed one day on the Senate floor. He has a 99.9% voting record, recording over 13,000 votes. He authored, co-authored, or served as the Senate sponsor and co-sponsor on over 100 legislative actions. Some of the legislation, of which he is most proud, is placing “In God We Trust” permanently in the Senate chamber for the first time in history; passing legislation in the Senate to place “Under God” in the Texas pledge; passing a $170 million tax cut for small businesses; and in 2011, after attempting to do so for two sessions, finally passing his top priority legislative item: the Sonogram Bill to protect the unborn. He has been a leader on veterans’ issues and a strong defender of Second Amendment rights.
Senator Patrick has also passed important local legislation that directly impacts Senate District 7 and Harris County. These bills include stopping Home Owners Associations from prohibiting a homeowner from flying the American, Texas, or a military flag; toughening laws to address DWI and human sex trafficking; and legislation to stop the city from taxing local churches and schools with a new “rain tax”.
Dan has one of the most important packages of assignments in the legislature. He serves on the key Senate committees: Finance, Education as Vice Chair, Criminal Justice, Health and Human Services, Intergovernmental Relations, as well as other special and sub-committees. He has been named “Legislator of the Year” by various social and fiscal conservative groups. In 2011, he founded the TEA Party Legislative Caucus.
Dan and his wife Jan have been married for 36 years. Their son Ryan is a Harris County assistant district attorney; their daughter Shane is a registered nurse. In 2010, Dan and Jan welcomed their first grandchild, Zachary Colton. Dan hosts a daily afternoon talk show on AM700 in Houston, has written a best seller, produced an award winning movie, plays piano and guitar, and paints water color in his spare time–which isn’t much since being elected in 2006.
As he tells every audience he speaks to he is a Christian first, a Conservative second, and a Republican third.
*Taken from danpatrick.org
